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NTSB releases Safer Seas report

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its "Safer Seas 2014: Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations" report on Wednesday.

The report details accidents and investigations that took place in 2014. It also summarizes the probable causes of 23 accidents, and offers analysis of what federal investigators found and what could be applied for prevention of future accidents.

The report details an accident involving the Herbert C. Jackson cargo ship. It states that the Jefferson Avenue Bridge near Detroit, Michigan, was lowered onto the vessel's bow, causing approximately $5,000 worth of damage. According to the report, the bridge tender lowered the bridge before the vessel had cleared it. The incident report also stated that the bridge attendant was allegedly intoxicated.

The majority of incidents involved fishing and towing vessels.

Among the recommendations in the report was that bridge operators be trained as new technology becomes available and fitted to bridges mechanics. Lack of such knowledge caused two casualties in 2014.

The NTSB also discussed proper safety drills for passengers on liners and proper maintenance for wooden vessels. Crew training was the last point, with the report insisting that crew members needed to have a thorough understanding of the ship and its systems in the case of an emergency.

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